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Hearty Chicken Congee

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One of the most popular comfort foods (at least in my universe) is congee. It’s the perfect meal to eat during cold and rainy days. It’s also a great hangover meal for people who are trying to bounce back from a wild night of partying and boozing.

Congee is a rice porridge that is naturally thickened from the prolonged boiling of rice. It is considered a staple dish in many Asian countries. What makes congee so appealing is that the addition of different ingredients transforms the dish. The basic congee is the base for a many variations of the same meal, which is makes it quite appealing to prepare as a quick fix meal. Congee is also a platform for creativity. Consider it a blank canvas for different congee variations that can appeal to different types of people – from fish lovers, to vegetarians, to those who love meat. [Read more…]

Mackerel Congee

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Mackerel congee is a savory recipe that is perfect for cold weather. It is considered as an Asian comfort food which can be eaten for breakfast, snacks or late supper. It is also a meal replacement that is served to people who are ill because it is easy to digest. Preparing it is simple. All you have to do is boil the ingredients until the rice is soft. Feel free to add more ingredients that will suit your taste.

For this recipe, I decided to add MSG to make the taste more attractive to the palette. It may be a controversial ingredient, but based on research it is safe due to the fact that many other vegetables such as tomatoes, mushrooms and asparagus contain glutamate as well.

 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

300g rice

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 inch knob ginger, peeled and quartered

2L water

2 tablespoons dashi

1/8 teaspoon Ajinomoto (MSG)

Shredded nori for garnish

2 Mackerel fillets

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Rinse the rice and then soak it for 15 minutes. Drain.

Place the rice, garlic, ginger and water in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and then cook it for 30 minutes or until the rice is soft. Add water if it becomes too thick.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Fry the Mackerel fillets for 6-8 minutes or until it is soft and cooked. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Flake the fish.

Take the garlic and ginger from the porridge. Dice the ginger and crush the garlic. Return it to the saucepan. Add the dashi and MSG. Mix well. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the congee among 4 bowls. Top it with the flaked Mackerel and shredded nori. Serve immediately.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  Raelene G